


The Nature of Grief

by Kalael



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-01
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-02-27 16:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2699123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalael/pseuds/Kalael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Callaghan could see that part of his daughter echoed in Tadashi, that part that cared too much and worried needlessly over shortcomings that didn’t exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nature of Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Just a character study that I might continue, because I do have a few ideas. We'll see.

He had dozens of self-help journals, several audio books, a few short docudramas and a long rant on his answering machine from his psychiatrist, all on the nature of grief. More specifically on how unhealthy it was to hold onto anger, how it wasn’t conducive to the healing process.

“You don’t have to forgive Krei," his psychiatrist told him, “But you shouldn’t dwell on him. You know Abigail wouldn’t have wanted this. You know she believed in what she was doing, what Krei was doing. She would rather see you put your energy to better use. You know that, right?”

“I know.” Callaghan agreed, not very sincerely, because no matter what Abigail wanted she wasn’t there anymore to disagree with him. She would never be there to argue with him or laugh with him or drag him out of his office again. She was gone. Dead. Krei had taken everything from him and Callaghan had never been the sort to forgive easily.

But he did try. He threw himself into teaching, and felt pride in his students. They were truly the best and brightest, creative thinkers with the skills to actually make reality of what they could dream up. If they dreamed too high, crashed and burned, Callaghan would gently remind them that they could work their way up to it. It felt like parenting again. It almost filled the void.

With Tadashi, it did not feel like parenting. Tadashi was perhaps the most self-aware individual that Callaghan had ever met, and it was apparent to all that met the young student that his work was going to help a lot of people. It was hard not to be impressed, not to be taken in by that sincere smile. Tadashi was going to go far, so long as Callaghan continued to push him in the right direction.

Not that it was hard at all. Tadashi was not the sort to give up. He picked up and kept moving after each mistake, after each failure. Nothing stopped him, nothing could keep him from reaching his goals once he had set his mind to it. The only thing that held him down was his own self-esteem, and with a genius younger brother it didn’t surprise Callaghan at all. At least until he learned why, exactly, Tadashi was having so much trouble.

“I must be doing something wrong.” Tadashi said blankly, staring at his phone. Callaghan had unfortunately been there to witness a strained phone call between Tadashi and Hiro, with Hiro on his way home from the police station with their Aunt Cass. “I can’t seem to get through to him. He has so much potential, you know? He could be doing so much more. He’d be amazing, if he just applied himself. I want that for him. I want to see him grow. Is that selfish of me?”

It would never cease to amaze him how passionate young people could be. Abigail threw herself into the thick of things, rode out the emotions like an adrenaline high until she was either breathless with laughter or sobbing into his shoulder. Callaghan could see that part of his daughter echoed in Tadashi, that part that cared too much and worried needlessly over shortcomings that didn’t exist. Callaghan placed a hand on Tadashi’s shoulder

“No. We all want that, for the people we love. We want to see them grow and change.” It’s not selfish in the least, he didn’t say, but Tadashi understood anyway and smiled. It’s different from Abigail’s, nothing similar in the way Tadashi’s thin lips curled with just the barest hint of teeth. Abigail’s smiles were always full blown grins, teeth bared and laughter just behind them.

“I think he’d like it here. Hiro, I mean. He’d love your program.” Tadashi interrupted Callaghan’s thoughts. His eyes were back on his phone and Callaghan looked out the window to watch the stormclouds pass.

“Bring him in sometime. My daughter used to be the same way.”

If Hiro was anything like her, then maybe things could be better. Maybe he could settle his mind on other things.

Callaghan left Tadashi to his own devices and returned to his office, cold and empty with yet another voicemail reprimanding him for missing his appointment. Krei’s voice was on the radio, some project that Callaghan didn’t care to hear about, but he could find the strength to turn it off. His fingers were shaking.

Rage. Nothing but rage. He closed his eyes to breathe, tried to reign himself in.

Maybe things would get better.


End file.
